Supporting Device for the Suspension Treatment of the Tobacco Habit

ABSTRACT

A supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit, characterized in that it comprises at least one pair of magnets, each magnet being apt to be applied at one of two opposite faces of a region located in the cartilaginous portion of the ear, so that the latter be comprised between the magnets. The magnets are such as to be arranged so as to face opposite magnetic poles, so that the magnetic attraction occurring be such as to exert a pressure at the region apt to the stimulation of endorphins and to support the magnets in a working position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a supporting device for the suspensiontreatment of the tobacco habit.

Injuries to health caused by smoking are widely known, ranging fromcardiorespiratory problems to tumor pathologies, and anyhow a wide rangeof more or less serious problems is attributable to smoking.

Despite an unceasing information campaign on its hazards, smoking stillis one of the main causes of decease, not to mention injuries caused bypassive smoking.

One of the main reasons that make quitting smoking so difficult is theaddiction created by nicotine present in cigarettes and in analogoustobacco-based products.

Many persons, even though firmly aware of their own injuries fromsmoking, are unable to quit in spite of endless attempts.

On the other hand, a plurality of pathologies, disorders anddifficulties in general are known, caused by a prolonged abstinence fromnicotine in a habitual smoker when he/she suspends the tobacco habit.

Inconveniences most commonly found are depressive states, agitation(even unjustified), insomnia, weight and appetite increase, irritabilityand concentration difficulties, which evidently make quitting smokingextremely difficult.

To attempt limiting the effects that abstinence may cause, basically twodifferent solutions are resorted to. A first one is based on theadministration of a modest dose of nicotine, following the suspension ofthe smoking habit and clearly not via cigarettes.

The second one exploits, by means of neurotransmitter stimulation, therelease of endorphins, substances capable of limiting abstinence effectsby substituting for nicotine.

In the first method generally there are used adhesive plasters(patches), to be applied on the skin, gradually and slowing releasingnicotine.

Such like plasters entail the advantage of being self-medicationproducts, i.e., sold over-the-counter and applicable directly by thesmoker, without the aid of a specialist. However, the mere intake ofnicotine does not help fight those abstinence aspects related more topsychological reasons than to physical ones.

In fact, the habitual smoker usually lights a cigarette in specificsituations or activities, like after coffee, during work, at the phone,that upon having quit smoking become difficult or disagreeable, just inthat no cigarette is held in hand and such activities are unaccompaniedby the gesture of bringing it to the mouth.

Moreover, though in limited amounts and without the damages derivingfrom smoking, alkaloid substances are anyhow assumed. Those causeaddiction, and therefore, even upon having discontinued the use ofnicotine plasters, leave the subject very weak to the temptation ofresuming smoking.

The second method envisages instead the stimulation of specific bodyzones by acupuncture or finger pressure, so as to cause a release ofendorphins that are capable of limiting any form of abstinence-relatedproblems.

Moreover, in this case no substance intake whatsoever is necessary, asindeed endorphins, being endogenous substances, are directly releasedfrom the human body.

However, evidently such a method entails the drawback of having to becarried out by a specialist. In fact, the use of acupuncture needles, orin case the ability to manually effect a pressure that be both adequateand at the most appropriate zone, are activities not practicable by thesame smoker willing to quit, as they require specific technicalabilities and also since somebody else is actually necessary to workwith a sufficient dexterity on the zones that has to be stimulated toattain endorphin release.

Evidently, going to a specialist to quit smoking entails expensesremarkably higher than those foreseeable with the use of aself-medication drug such as that in the above described plasters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Hence, the technical problem underlying the present invention is toprovide a device reducing those inconveniences deriving from thesuspension of alkaloid intake, to which those resolving to quit smokingcome up against, and allowing to overcome the drawbacks mentioned heretowith reference to the known art.

Such a problem is solved by a supporting device for the suspensiontreatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 1.

The present invention provides several relevant advantages. The mainadvantage lies in that the device is a self-medication product, andtherefore it can be used directly by a person resolving to quit smoking,without however entailing the intake of any external substance, inparticular alkaloids.

Other advantages, features and the modes of employ of the presentinvention will be made apparent in the following detailed description ofsome embodiments thereof, given by way of a non-limiting example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will be made to the figures of the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the supporting device for thesuspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration, according to a front view, showingan application region, at which it is positioned the supporting devicefor the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration according to a perspective view,showing the application region of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Initially referring to FIG. 1, a supporting device for the suspensiontreatment of the tobacco habit comprises at least one pair of magnets 1and 2, substantially disc-shaped.

According to a preferred embodiment, the magnets 1 and 2 are coated witha layer of hypoallergenic material, so as to prevent allergic reactionsonce into contact with skin, and anyhow not impeding the magnetic field.

As hypoallergenic material, conveniently a layer of noble metal may beused; in particular, in the present embodiment, the magnets 1 and 2 arecoated with a gold-based layer.

The magnets are apt to be applied at the ear, in particular, withreference to FIGS. 2 and 3, inside a region 10 that is centrally locatedin the cartilaginous portion of the ear.

Moreover, the dimensions of the region 10 indicated in FIG. 2, anyhowindicative, are greater than the actual ones of the magnets 1 and 2, soas not to incur excessive difficulties in applying the latter insidesaid region 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, then onto the region 10 two opposite faces aresingled out, one thereof being that facing onto the user's scalp, andsuitably referred to as internal face 11, whereas the second onethereof, opposite thereto, will hereinafter be referred to as externalface 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a first one of the two magnets, whichhereinafter will be referred to as front magnet 2, is applied to the earonto the external face 12 at the zone defined by the region 10.

Vice versa, the second magnet, which will be referred to as rear magnet1, is positioned onto the internal face 11, opposite to the face 12, asit is shown in FIG. 3.

Also the internal magnet 1 is applied at the region 10, so as to facethe front magnet 2, the cartilaginous portion of the ear being of courseinterposed therebetween.

The two magnets are positioned in the configuration illustrated heretoso as to face along opposite magnetic poles, basically so that amagnetic attraction is generated therebetween. The magnetic field,unimpeded by the presence of the ear, is such as to act so as to keepthe two magnets adhering to the two faces 11 and 12, respectively, andto generate a pressure action onto the region 10.

In fact, the two magnets, just for the configuration according to whichthey have to be applied, tend to draw near therebetween and, an earportion being present between the two, they will exert a pressure ontothe application region 10.

Magnetic attraction, when using two sufficiently pure natural magnets,is such as to support the two magnets in a working position regardlessof gravity's action, even during usual office or household activities.

Therefore, it will be possible to use the device even when moving orconducting any activity whatsoever.

According to a preferred embodiment, the rear magnet 1 could be ofdimensions greater with respect to the front magnet 2. Thus, thepressure action could be concentrated more in the central zone of theregion 10 that, as it will be made apparent, is important to stimulatefor the supporting action in the treatment of the tobacco habit. Therear magnet, concealed by the ear, being of greater dimensions willsimplify the step of applying the device, whereas the front one, moreconspicuous, will conveniently be of smaller dimensions, so as to beless showy.

The above described pressure action has an operation analogous to whatspecialists are able to provide by finger pressure, and substantiallyequivalent to what is implemented with acupuncture.

The stimulation of the region 10, in particular of the left ear, via theuse of the device according to the present invention, or taking place inany equivalent manner whatsoever, enhances the production of endorphinsthat succeed, usually and by endogenous production, at substituting forthe action of the alkaloids administered with cigarettes and othernicotine-containing products.

Thus, the overcoming of the difficulties that those quitting smokingusually come up against is supported by the use of the device accordingto the present invention and by the ensuing endorphin release.

However, with respect to the traditional solutions, the device forsupporting the treatment of the tobacco habit according to the presentinvention can be simply applied by the same subject wishing to quitsmoking.

Clinical studies, performed by the Applicant in cooperation with theEuropean Antismoking Center highlighted that on a sample of 800 smokingsubjects, willing to try the suspension of the tobacco habit, there wasa higher success rate among those who used the device according to thepresent invention.

More precisely, out of the 650 subjects who had used the device of thepresent invention, the 84.62% successfully attained the result, whereasof the 150 subjects who had not used it the 73.33% quit smoking.

Moreover, from that study it emerged that the higher propensity tosuspend the tobacco habit is linked just to the lesser inconveniences,among which, insomnia, depression, weight increase, to which the usersof the device according to the present invention came up against. Theuse of the device is based on the application, 3-4 hours per day, of thedevice for 6-7 days prior to suspending the use of alkaloid-basedproducts, and therefore it would be advisable to carry on theapplication for other 20-25 days with the same modalities.

However, the device according to the present invention entails nocontraindication; hence, not only the above reported indications areindicative, but also the use of the product with modes different fromthose disclosed hereto cannot do the patient any harm, at most resultingin a limited effectiveness of the product.

The present invention has hereto been described with reference topreferred embodiments thereof. It is understood that other embodimentsafferent to the same inventive kernel may exist, all falling within theprotective scope of the appended claims.

1. A supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobaccohabit, wherein it comprises at least one pair of magnets, each magnet ofsaid at least one pair being apt to be applied at one of two oppositefaces of a region located in the cartilaginous portion of the ear, sothat the latter be comprised between said magnets, said magnets of saidat least one pair being such as to be located so as to face oppositemagnetic poles, the magnetic attraction occurring between the twomagnets being such as to exert a pressure at said region, apt to thestimulation of endorphins and to support said at least one pair ofmagnets in a working position.
 2. The supporting device for thesuspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 1, whereinsaid magnets are substantially disc-shaped.
 3. The supporting device forthe suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 1,wherein said magnets comprise a surface layer of hypoallergenicmaterial.
 4. The supporting device for the suspension treatment of thetobacco habit according to claim 3, wherein said surface layer ofhypoallergenic material is based on one noble metal.
 5. The supportingdevice for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according toclaim 4, wherein said one noble metal is gold.
 6. The supporting devicefor the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 1,wherein said magnets are coated with a gold layer.
 7. The supportingdevice for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according toclaim 1, comprising a rear magnet apt to be positioned on an internalface of said region, and a front magnet apt to be positioned on anexternal face of said region, said rear magnet having greater dimensionswith respect to said front magnet.
 8. The supporting device for thesuspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 2, whereinsaid magnets comprise a surface layer of hypoallergenic material.
 9. Thesupporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habitaccording to claim 8, wherein said surface layer of hypoallergenicmaterial is based on one noble metal.
 10. The supporting device for thesuspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 9, whereinsaid one noble metal is gold.